Storage device



J. M ERC I E R STORAGE DEVICE Jan. 23, 1951 Original Filed May 10, 19:59

INVENTOR Jean Mer'cz'er BY MrM ATTORNEYS Reissued Jan. 23, 1951 STORAGE DEVICE Jean Mercier, New York, N. Y.; vested in the Attorney General Original No. 2,331,921, dated October 19, 1943, Serial No. 272,791, May 10, 1939. Application for reissue August 16, 1950, Serial No. 179,852.

In France May 31, 1938 Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue Claims.

The present invention relates to accumulators of liquid under pressure of the type including a rigid container provided with at least one inlet and outlet conduit for the liquid, and a flexible deformable bag fixed at one end to said container and filled with gas under pressure.

The object of the present invention is to provide an accumulator of this type which is better adapted to meet the requirements of practice than those existing prior to this invention, and, in particular, better protected against possible injury of the deformable bag.

Another object of the present invention is to devise an accumulator advantageous for use on aircraft.

With [this object] these objects in view, according to an important feature of my invention, the orifice of the liquid conduit above-mentioned which opens into the rigid container is provided with means for preventing the bag from extruding [engaging] thereinto while permitting the flow of liquid into and from said conduit as long as the bag is not applied against said orifice.

Other features-of the present invention will appear [resultlfrom the following description of an embodiment thereof given by way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The only figure is a diagrammatic sectional view of an accumulator according to the invention.

The drawing shows a rigid container I forming the outer casing of the accumulator and a flexible and advantageously elastic bag 5 provided inside this container. Bag 5 may be simply attached to the accumulator at 6. It forms a continuous partition between chambers 2 and 3, thus preventing the formation of an emulsion of gas in the oil. This bag is expanded or compressed according to the variations of volume of chamber 2 under the effect of variations of the oil pressure in chamber 3. In normal conditions, the pressures are practically equal inside and outside of bag 5.

In order to prevent an excessive expansion of bag 5 with a consequent risk of bursting, in the case of a sudden drop of the oil pressure in cham ber 3, means may be provided in the wall of this bag, in the-{form of a small orifice, of a slot, of a valve or the" like, adapted to afford the escape of air. trordibag 5, but preventing all circulation of oil from chamber 3 into the said bag. Such means arefigde'scribed in my co-pending applicatiorEISerialNo. 229,641 [,I, now Patent No. 2,317,- 395 channels 3|], 3|, 32 become superfluous.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, which offers particular advantages by reason of its simple construction, bag 5 is secured at its upper end, at E, to container I, and is fitted at this point with a valve means for filling the same with gas under pressure. The lower end 25 of bag 5 is free in container and [its end portion] is reinforced.

In the end of container I opposite to 6 is provided a port 21 for the inflow or outflow of liquid under pressure to be stored in the accumulator. The communication [across] through port 21 is controlled by a member 26 which closes this lower end of container I. At its upper portion, member 26 has an axial bore or passageway 30 having a floor 3| near its outer end. said floor having an axial bore 32 therethrough leading to the exterior of said container, and a plunger 28 is slidably mounted in said passageway, urged upwardly by a spring 29 so as to cause its upper face to project above the upper face of member 25 into container l. The length of plunger 28 is substantially equal to that of the axial bore 30 so that in its extreme closed position when the lower end of plunger 28 is seated on floor 31 the face of the plunger will be substantially flush with the upper face of member 26. In the periphcry of member 28, there is formed a groove 3| the height of which is such that, whatever be the position of plunger 28 in member 26, said groove 3| is always in communication with radial channels 30 provided in member 25. Groove 31 also communicates through radial channels 32, formed in plunger 28, with a central bore 3| provided in said plunger, which bore 3| communicates with port 21 and contains spring 29. The upper part 25? of member 25 is [engaged] positioned preferably with a certain play 33 in the lower portion I of container This play may, however, be dispensed with and in this case The upper part of plunger 28 is provided with radial channels 34 which communicate with the inside of container I when plunger 23 is raised, but which are closed when the latter is forced into member 26. Plunger 23 is movable in member 26 with a certain lateral play, such as mm. or the like.

The operation is as follows: When bag 5 is expanded and comes to bear against the upper surface of [member 25 and] plunger 28, it drives the latter [plunger 28] into member 26. against the action of spring 29 [.1 as limited by the flange at the lower end of the bore until the upper surface of said plunger 28 is substantially flush to bag 5, even if the same be applied with considerable force.

Plunger 28 will also be forced into member 25, although bag may be distant from said plunger, [the former] when the pressure in container 1 exceeds the pressure in conduit 27 and bore 31 plus the strength of spring 25. In this event, the play 33 provided between member 25 and the wall of container 1, as well as the play between member 25 and plunger 2% permit the outflow of a small supply of liquid which is suflicient to operate controls which require only a small powef, such as the wing flags of an aeroplane or the like.

The normal position shown in Fig. 1, in which plunger 28 projects from member 26 and uncovers the channels 34, affords a much greater in and outflow.

It is of course to be understood that the accumulator herein could be used at any angle, including a horizontal or inverted position and hence the end or surface of the member 26 designated as the upper surface in the position shown in Fig.1 is referred to in some of the claims as the inner end.

The foregoing description is not intended to limit my invention which extends to any changes or modifications comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An accumulator of liquid under pressure which comprises, in combination, a rigid container, at least one port for supply and discharge of liquid opening into one end of said rigid container, a flexible deformable bagin said container fixed at one point thereof to the other end of the same [and filled with gas under pressure, said bag being incapable to resist said pressure unless supported] and valve means [.1 in said port for controlling the flow of said liquid therethrough, said valve means including a plunger mounted in said port and means normally urging the plunger to open position with the face thereof projecting above the inner end of said port, said face of said plunger being adapted to be substantially flush with the {inner wall of said container] inner end of said port to close the latter at least when said bag is bearing [thereon] on said plunger.

2. An accumulator of liquid under pressure her, in flush relation to the [inner] upper face thereof, and resilient [elastic] means for urging said movable valve element toward the first mentioned position thereof,-in which it affords com munication across said port between the inside of said rigid container and the outside, said valve means being mounted with a certain play in said port 'so as to permit a small flow of said liquid even when the movable valve element is in the closed position.

3. An accumulator of liquid under pressure which comprises, combination, a rigid container, at least one port for supply and discharge of liquid opening into one end of said rigid comtainer, a flexible deformable bag said container fixed at one point thereof to the other end of the same and value means in said port for controlling the flow of such liquid therethrough, said valve means including a member in said port haying a passageway longitudinally therethrough, a plunger in said passageway controlling the latter and means normally urging the plunger to open position with the face thereof projecting beyond the inner end of said member, said face of said plunger being adapted to be substantially flush with the inner end of said member to close which comprises, in combination, a rigid container, at least one port for supply and discharge of liquid opening into one end of said rigid container, a flexible deformable bag in said container fixed at one point thereof to the other end of the same [and filled with gas under pressure, said plunger.

the passageway at least when said bag is bearing on said plunger.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in of liquid opening into one end of said rigid contain'er, a flexible deformable bag in said con-. tainerfiazed at one point thereof to the other end of. the same and value means in said port for controlling theflow of such liquid therethrough, said valve means including a member in saidport having a passageway therethrough, a plunger in said passageways controlling the latter and means normally urging the plunger to open position with the face thereof projecting beyond the in-. ner end of said member, said face of said plunger being adaptedto be substantially flush with the inner end of said member to close said passageway at least when said bag is bearing on said JEAN MERCIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent or the original patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 381,731 Walker Apr. 24, 1888 841,791 Lemp Jan. 22, 1967 1,025,222 Wallace May "7, 1912 2,255,835 Mercier Sept. 23, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country ,Date

5,796 Great Britain May .12, 1885 817,199 France. Aug. 27., 193? 48,012 France Oct. 16, 1937 

